Adults, 18 years of age or older of either gender and of any race weighing up to 150 kg. Female patients of childbearing potential MUST be nonpregnant (confirmed by negative serum pregnancy test), nonlactating, and must be willing to practice reliable birth control measures during and for at least 30 days after treatment with study drug(s).

Have a new pulmonary infiltrate on chest radiograph.

Exhibit at least two of the following clinical symptoms of pneumonia on history or physical:

Moribund clinical condition: high likelihood of death during the first 48 hours.

If HIV positive, known CD4 counts <200/mm3 or evidence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

Inability to tolerate ceftriaxone or history of allergy to beta-lactam antibiotics (history of rash alone will not exclude a patient).

Any individual previously treated with a potentially effective anti-infective agent for > 24 hours (or one dosing day) within 72 hours of enrollment, or prior treatment with any investigational drug (including experimental biologic agents) in previous 30 days or prior therapy with daptomycin.

Anticipation that a second non-protocol systemic antibiotic will be required.

Induction chemotherapy within 2 weeks prior to enrollment (or exogenous therapies which are anticipated to result in PMN counts of <200 mm3 during Treatment Phase), or patients with severe neutropenia (<200 PMN cells/mm3).

Patients considered unreliable to return for visits or to comply with study procedures.

Patients presenting with nosocomial pneumonia (i.e., <14 days after discharge from a skilled nursing facility or hospital with an initial hospitalization of >=3 days duration).

Clinical suspicion of Legionella pneumonia.

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.